WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina (Reuters) - North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue pardoned on Monday a mostly African-American group known as the "Wilmington 10" after they were falsely convicted of firebombing a white-owned grocery store in 1971 during...

Kenneth Weene's insight:

It only took 42 years. I am glad that something like justice has been done, but enraged that it has taken so long and that there is no way to undo the harm of such despicable behavior by the state.

A year or so ago, I went to the movies with some friends to see The Purge: Election Year. For those of you who haven’t seen this movie, it’s pretty disturbing and unsettling. The whole series is about an annua

Kenneth Weene's insight:

I find this kind of neurological information fascinating. That we have two circuits for processing threat, threats that are immediate and require response and those that we can see coming and think about. Wow! Now, how do I figure which is which? There has to be a process by which the brain decides immediacy. Now, therein may lie the beginnings of our notion of time. At any rate, imagine if that mechanism stopped functioning so every threat seemed immediate, would that perhaps be the nature of PTSD, that the brain stops being able to discern the difference and all thread becomes immediate? That would at least account for some of those symptoms. Meanwhile, I keep wondering about that next novel I want to write. Somehow the brain is definitely involved and it will be science fiction. Of course, I'm still waiting for the narrator to start telling me the story.

Maybe you’re microwaving or boiling it to remove germs, but as Gravely notes, it's really hard to clean a sponge

Kenneth Weene's insight:

I would say that most of the things on this list are pretty obvious, but still for the sake of your family's health, take a look. One think that isn't on the list and perhaps should be, that roommate or spouse who keeps leaving containers unsealed, refuses to stop drinking from the milk carton, and doesn't help with the cleanup. So, here's to healthy eating and happy living.

Whether you just bought a house or just moved into your first apartment, getting your own place is a big deal, so you'll want to furnish with the latest gadgets.

Kenneth Weene's insight:

Now, these are products I just have to buy. How else can I shave my back, find my toilet in the night, or convert my old 45s to digital? And the list goes on. Seriously, unnecessary items but still a great example of how technology moves in a wave carrying the smallest ideas along with the great one. So, hoist your levitating glass with me as we probe the wonders to be found in the darkest reaches of our homes with our very own endoscopic camera. Warning, do not try to do colonoscopies on your pets, not even to find the keys your dog ate or the fur ball your that's interfering with your cat's pooping. Speaking of pooping, if you're going to install a motion sensor light in your toilet, I suggest you go with blue, but you can use your perfect color matcher to check that out.

The United States might have a lock on traditional hamburgers, but restaurants around the world, from Stockholm, Sweden, to Santiago, Chile, are cooking delicious versions.

Kenneth Weene's insight:

While many of these top burger spots are here in the US, some of the other places shown really sound juicy. The big surprise is White Castle didn't make it. I didn't expect McDonalds, Burger King, or even In-and-out or Five Guys, but who doesn't love White Castle? (Actually, I don't but they do have their cult following.) Seriously, while some of these companies are small, local chains, thankfully none of them are designed to go into rest-stops along American or other highways.

Remember, when eating a burger, the goal is to look like you've got class. Little bites and chew carefully. Savor the taste. Oh, and carry a copy of one of my books to really impress people You can check them out at www.kennethweene.com

MONEY analyzed the largest U.S. casual dining chain restaurants, ranking the 25 that provided the best value for your money.

Kenneth Weene's insight:

I'm not a fan of chain restaurants, but sometimes, especially when I'm traveling, I'l settle rather than taking a total chance. Now, these are restaurants, which means you get to sit down and be waited on not fast food places where you order at the counter. At any rate, here are the Money Magazine top 25. Enjoy your meal and don't forget to tip those hardworking servers.

I know Teddy Kennedy didn't like the idea when it meant windmills off of Martha's Vineyard, but building floating wind farms makes a lot of sense as does figuring out ways to harness the tides. Of course, one of the big challenges is creating batteries that can help even the good and less good times for renewable energy sources. For example, in major storms, these turbines have to shut down to avoid their tipping over, which means no power being generated, and then, of course, there are the calm times. Nevertheless, all over the world, renewable energy is on the rise, except perhaps here in the US, where we seem determined to keep polluting. "Drill, baby, drill." "Burn, baby, burn." And the hell with the climate. Right?

Hopefully, our political leaders will start listening to some of the real concerns of people who just want to know the earth will be habitable for their great-grandchildren. Did you know, in Mongolia they're building new yurts designed to lower the amount of coal for heat? Yep, even the Mongolians have gotten the idea. Can Washington be that far behind?

A cloud of cold strontium atoms, glowing with a blue light, is trapped in the vacuum chamber of an optical clock at Germany's National Metrology Institute. PHYSIKALISCH-TECHNISCHE BUNDESANSTALT/CC-BY

Kenneth Weene's insight:

For those of us who are always running late, will this increase in accuracy improve our performance? Will those of us who look at our lives and say, "It's too late," be uplifted by this breakthrough? Will time be turned back in its flight? Will the White Rabbit's pocket watch become more accurate or will the Tea Party ever end?

So many questions once we start thinking about time. For my part, I tend to think more about time passed. For example, consider the bucolic Maine I wrote about in Broody New Englander. This very morning—is that sufficiently accurate timekeeping?—I was writing a reminiscence about my first experience in Maine. It will be going out for a blog in the near future, which means how many nanoseconds? At any rate, try to imagine a world without time. Now, there's an idea for some science fiction.

Well, if I continue writing and you continue reading this, it will become a colossal waste of time. Instead, you really should check out Broody New Englander.

In a televised meeting in the White House, the president appeared to stun giddy Democrats and stone-faced Republicans by calling for comprehensive gun control.

Kenneth Weene's insight:

What stuns me is that Mr. Trump can vary so wildly in his ideas and proposals. Such tactics may work on Reality TV, but they hardly seem appropriate for national government. The ship of state needs a steady hand on the tiller not somebody with intellectual epilepsy. One of my complaints about Obama was that he wasn't fully prepared and had to learn on the job, which among other things led to the appointment of Hillary as Sect. of State, which I consider a disaster. Now, we have a POTUS who actually knows less about government and who isn't even willing to listen to those who might.

Yes, I want better gun control, particularly background checks and closing the gun show and friend loopholes. I do think that raising the age of gun buyers might help because that will move a few potential shooters past the point of their rage at what happened in school before they can obtain weapons. I certainly approve of using federal money to help make schools safer, for example by replacing doors and adding bulletproof glass. There are lots of possible directions in which we can go. Disarming those who might be a danger: well, that's too far for me unless there is imminent threat. But, first and foremost, can we have a clear plan?

This brings up something that really galls me about so much of modern American government, not just under Trump, but his predecessors; plans are not thought through and presented but rather are build piecemeal. Take Obamacare for an example. Of course, when Bill Clinton tried to take a playful approach to healthcare and asked Hillary to run that task-force, boy was that shot down, which brings us to the biggest problem, the congress is more interested in what lobbyists have to say than in what the White House and the cabinet proposes.

When we realize that the business of government is not business but rather the wellbeing of our citizens and our land, then and only then can we hope to improve on this cockamamy system. One goal of a new political party that would represent us the people would have to be a redirection of the process away from the sway of lobbyists, yes including the NRA but not just that one.

Escalating threats, rivalries within the intelligence community and the resulting interagency paralysis during the years leading up to 9/11 create the narrative basis of Hulu’s “The Looming Tower. After you watch the miniseries, consider reading a novel that will add to the story.

Her rival, fellow Democrat Kevin de León, called it “an astounding rejection of politics as usual."

Kenneth Weene's insight:

While the active party members have made their displeasure with "politics as usual" clear, does this mean that the Democratic party in California has lurched farther to the left than the rest of the country? One thing it certainly doesn't mean is that at the end of the primary there will be a new Democratic candidate for the Senate. Still, at 85, it might just be a signal to Senator Feinstein that it is time to step down.

Meanwhile, back at the American ranch, I see that more and more politicians are talking about the breakdown of the two-party system. The other day, for example, there was something from John Kasich about it. In effect he said that he considered his membership in the Republican party more a method of his career than the definition of his values. Not that I'd want him as POTUS, but it was a call in the right direction.

How about you? Would you want to see a third party? Multiple parties? A parliamentary system with a head of state presidency separate from the role of somebody like a prime minister? How willing are you to see the government change?

A study comparing 21 common antidepressants concluded that they were all more effective than placebo for treatment of acute depression.

Kenneth Weene's insight:

After years of telling my depressed and anxious clients that medication was a useful addition to therapy, it's good to see a clear study supporting that position. However, there is one negative to this report, that it really is only about popularly prescribed medications. There is no MAO Inhibitor in the list. In my view, this class of meds is way underutilized. The reason is that there are dietary restrictions, and that makes it easy for taking such a medication to result in a negative side-effect, something no prescribing physician wants to deal with. Still, my friends who have worked with MAO Inhibitors say they can work wonders when the more commonly prescribed drugs, such as the SSRIs are not effective.

This is not a suggestion that medication is a substitute for psychotherapy, but it is clear to me that the combination of methods works better. The addition of other modalities, such as support groups, regular exercise, meditation, and yoga can also be helpful.

I still take occasional clients on an informal basis practicing as a personal coach or counselor. I guess once a mental health professional always devoted to helping others. So, if you want to contact me or recommend somebody in need of some good advice and counsel, well feel free. Just don't be surprised if I suggest that people also contact a physician to get some effective medications.

A new study on the consumption of coffee has revealed the world's most common recreational drug affects our metabolism far more deeply than we realised.

Kenneth Weene's insight:

Next Tuesday, March 27, I'm interviewing Asher Yaron who has developed a home coffee roaster so that you can have the very best coffee every time. Be sure to join us on Walking On the Weene Side, part of It Matters Radio, and learn how to make your morning joe even better.

Anthropologists at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and an international team of collaborators have discovered that early humans in East Af

Kenneth Weene's insight:

Apparently, we humans started manufacturing and trading much earlier than was previously known. Which perhaps goes to show that humans do better when they work together and trade than when they spend their energies opposing one another. To put that another way, if early mankind was smart enough to know that trade worked, perhaps we should recognize that it will enrich our times as well. Of course, we won't be trading a better kind of stone for our axe or spear in return for mastodon meat, but we can perhaps live in a world in which we enrich one another.

On the other hand, I bet that nobody in those days was giving away their best spear launchers. Like in most things, there should be a careful balance between trade and self-protection. Finding that balance requires wise leadership.

MONEY worked with TripAdvisor to identify the most popular tourist activity in every state, including museums, tours, and other attractions.

Kenneth Weene's insight:

I love travel, especially in the United States, so I was delighted to see this list. On the other hand, I wouldn't necessarily pick all these as my favorites. They are, however, the most popular so they all have great value. The thing is, when you are in each of these states, don't settle for just one thing, even if it's a tour of a city, there are other places in that state. Travel isn't just about seeing the sights but getting to know the people and the place.

Let's get this straight, I'm not a big proponent of executions. However, if we must kill people, let us do it humanely. Now, that said, let's get to the bigger topic here, the possibilities for euthanasia. If nitrogen provides an easy route to the great beyond, it will make my search for an easy, effective way to end my life when the time comes much simpler. I had thought of using carbon monoxide, but that isn't so easy to do. For one thing, you have to get a source which usually means creating it through burning something such as gasoline in your automobile parked in a closed garage. My plan was to seal all the vents in a nice hotel room, light up an hibachi, grill a good steak, and then let the briquets light my way to oblivion whilst I watched reruns of I Love Lucy. Of course, burning that much charcoal would set off the smoke detectors, so they'd have to be dealt with, and it would heat the room, so I'd have to have a good supply of ice on hand, at least enough to make many martinis.

Now, nitrogen is rather plentiful and easily purchased. So, I guess I could just find a nice quiet room, open the canister, and wait.

Meanwhile, at reality level, what I want is physician assisted suicide for those of us who wish when the alternative is sickness and suffering.

Meanwhile, back in Oklahoma, what do you think about capital punishment? Sometimes, when I read about the machinations in Washington, I would support capitol punishment, but that's another topic.

More and more people eat lunch at the desk during the working days. Here are the foods you should avoid at all costs.

Kenneth Weene's insight:

My computer, George Bernard Shaw, hates that I eat at the desk. So hard for him to clean his keyboard. ""Seriously, Ken," he says; "your hands stink of cheese." And that isn't even one of the foods in this list from Time. To be fair, I have never ever eaten corn on the cob or sushi at my desk. Now, fried chicken and ribs? Well, I wouldn't want to lie.

Calling all of my fellow cat lovers out there. There are some people in this world who love cats more than anything (Can I get a hell yeah?), and others who just haven't been converted yet. Fur real — how can you not love something so adorable? I jus…

Kenneth Weene's insight:

Okay, I admit it, I'm a dog person. However, I don't dislike cats. I just wish they wouldn't claim me as their territory. Seriously, cat in room with me means cat on my lap. No questions asked. At any rate, I did think this article fun, so meow and all that good stuff. By the way, the gifs are fun.

No, we're not talking about squatting. We're talking about a way to bend over that has nearly disappeared in our culture. And it could be one reason why back pain is so common in the U.S.

Kenneth Weene's insight:

Although I don't have horrible back problems, not like many of my friends, I do have some pain. That's why I was interested to read this article. If you want to take care of your back, you should read it, too. And, if you have children, you certainly should be teaching them how to bend correctly.

Wishing you a healthier life, which of course, should including good books like the ones you find at www.kennethweene.com.

Emotional support peacocks. Emotional support snakes. Emotional support hamsters.

Kenneth Weene's insight:

What do you think about emotional support animals? For my part, I think that having a pet makes most people feel better, more like they matter. On the other hand, I find it hard to accept that an animal that isn't trained to in some way respond to unique needs really constitutes a necessary support. However, my Support Black Widow Spider thinks differently and I don't want to upset her. Maybe, that peacock will take her on for me. Do you have a support pet? Another type of service animal? Do you take that animal into stores, restaurants, even onto airplanes? How does that inconvenience the people around you? I used to belong to a movie society. One of the other members brought his emotional support dog to the screenings. An older pug, the poor dog farted constantly. Amazing how that guy would get there first, in a choice seat, and have nobody sitting near him. Now, that's what I call a dog giving service.

Reach for the hand of a loved one in pain and not only will your breathing and heart rate synchronize with theirs, your brain wave patterns will couple up too,

Kenneth Weene's insight:

It's wonderful that a loving relationship and physical closeness actually can be demonstrated to affect both synchronicity of brain waves and level of pain. It goes to show that healing touch and human connection are real things. My one problem with this study was that the painful stimulus was only applied to the female. I wonder what would happen if it were the other way around, to say nothing of gay couples. Somehow, sexism seems to find its way into every aspect of life, even scientific studies.

And, what about studies of parents and children or even just between people who may not know one another? And do those who call themselves healers have more or less capacity to synch with others?

Meanwhile, have you read Widow's Walk? The emotional synching of mother and child is much at the heart of that one. Here's one place to get a taste.

Sex and high-status individuals—from celebrities on TV to influencers on Instagram—are advertising staples. Our first question tends to be whether they work, but just as important a question is why. Are they playing on cultural norms and the way each of us has been socialized? Or are they tapping into something more primordial in us

Kenneth Weene's insight:

Forget "monkey see monkey do." Here we have money feel monkey choose. Now, the next study should be how subtle the sexual and social status images that work can be. For example will subliminal or abstract representations of vaginas and penises work to sell logos to these unwitting macaques? Another question, have those keepers wearing Nike or Adidas sportswear at risk from monkeys who will associate them with either sex or submission? And, would other species, say the sexually driven bonobos, show different results, with only the sexual material having results? Or perhaps, they'll be too busy jerking off to learn anything about ads?

So many questions: What would you be wondering if you were studying this new group of advertising subjects? Meanwhile, back at the ranch, what gets you to spend your money? Nah, don't tell me it's getting the best product for your buck. We all know that we humans are less logical than that.

In a perhaps inevitable byproduct of the city’s epic construction boom, the market for portable toilets is on fire.

Kenneth Weene's insight:

Every golden future has its brown moments. Every movement has the need to flush. Have you ever seen the movie "Kenny"? A great docudrama from down under. I laughed through most of it, and afterwards went poo. Here's a trailer.

REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AP) — Icelandic lawmakers are considering a law that would ban the circumcision of boys for non-medical reasons, making it the first European country to do so.

Kenneth Weene's insight:

Some years ago I went to the public swimming pools in Reykjavik. There were private dressing rooms so I got into my trunks and, towel in hand, went to the men's showers. To my surprise not not consternation, I found that I was expected to remove my bathing suit to shower. I wasn't even fazed when I realized that there were some young girls in the shower. They were with their fathers or other male guardians and presumably in Iceland there was no issue about them seeing or being seen by men.

What I was not prepared for was the realization that many of the people in that shower were staring at me. More specifically staring at my genitals. Some furtively, others more openly, but clearly staring. It took a moment of my own glancing around the room to understand why I was an object of such interest. Not only was I the only circumcised male in the shower, but clearly the idea of circumcision was foreign to these people, not just Icelandic people but a large number of Swedish tourists as well.

Having no memory of my foreskin, I cannot say how its loss affected me or my life. I will not take on the role of a Philip Roth character and mourn my lost di forhoyt. (No putz means penis, not foreskin in Yiddish.) If god did in fact make a pact with Abraham that that bit of skin should be removed in exchange for allowing me and all Jewish sons to live, well so be it. I survived. On the other hand, a lot of Jewish kids died in the Holocaust and I didn't see god doing much about that. And, if it—as Muslims believe—it was Ishmael who was offered up and not Issac, then I guess we Jewish boys have been kind of screwed although again nobody knows how much.

I will say this, Freud was on to something. Abraham or my father, whose name was Joseph, one thing about Jewish fathers from my experience, they all wanted to castrate their sons. At least, most of them just got to take a sliver.

And your views and experiences with circumcision. Care to expose yourself?

Hey, if you want to know more about the madness of my childhood, pick up a copy of Memoirs From the Asylum. Mom and Dad certainly helped me come up with the madness.

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